Combined bootee drier and coat hanger



March 10, 1953 G. J. KUPCHIK 2,630,950

7 COMBINED BOOTEE DRIER AND COAT HANGER v Filed May 22, 1951 INVENTOR.650/656 J Kupcm c Patented Mar. 10, 1953 err-Fries COMBINED-BOOTEEDRIERAND COAT HANGER 1George.-J.:Kupchik, Brooklyn,:hio

.A pIicationMayiZZ, 1951,'Seria1'No.'227;651

This invention'relates 'tonew and useful improvements in baby b'oote'edriers'and stretchers, and more particularly to those which can be madefrom a plastic by the'injection-mold or pressure-mold process in a shapewhich will minimize -the tendency .to twist or warp out of the shape orcontour of flattened bootees or the like.

An important object of the invention is to provide .a drier of this typewhich is made in multiple form for drying two booteessimultaneous'ly,'i. e., the drier consists of "two identicaliintegratedopen work frames or'forms, each the-shape of a flattened bootee; andarranged so that one will not interfere with air drying currents aroundthe other; and being integrated andconstructe'd in the manner they are,can be simultaneously suspended to afford the maximum head roomtherebenea'th, andalso can be utilized as a coat-hanger, provided'by thelongitudinal alignment of the leg portions of the two .forms in asingleplane with thefoot and toe portions pointing downwardly with.respect to the suspension hook which extends upwardly from theelongated form of the vdrier.

Another important object of the invention is to provide these open-workforms or frames consisting essentially-of an outer peripheral element,.withcross bracing and offset portions arranged so as .to maintain theirshape and minimize the possibilities of the plastic frames distortingfrom shape, as well as to provide from this special material, thestrongest possible construction for bootee driers which are adapted .tobe utilized as coat-hangers.

Needless-to-say that, the use of plastic material in devices of thischaracter, provides for their inexpensive manufacture, smoothness andfinish with consequent savings over painting and enameling, and whenproperly designed and constructed, makes the dual purpose possible.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent during the course ofthe following description.

In the accompanying drawing-forming a part of the description andwherein like numerals are employed todesignate like parts throughout theseveral views,

Fig. 1 is an elevational view :of a combined bootee-drier and coathanger embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same,

Fig. 3 is a top elevation of the same,

Fig. 4 is an enlarged transverse section of the device taken on the line44 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a similar section taken on the line 55 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6'is a'modified form of the 'foot'portions of the drier.

Fig. 7 is'a transverse section of the'same taken on'the line 11 of Fig.6.

Fig. 8 is anothermodified form of foot portion, and

Fig. 9 is'a transverse section of the same taken on the line 9-9 of Fig.8.

Referringnow more particularly to the drawings wherein for thepurpose ofillustration, is shown the'preferred embodiment of my invention, thenumera'lslll and II designate two identical open-work forms or frames,each having the shape of'a flattened bootee, sock or the like, andcomposed of .foot and leg portions 12 and i3 respectively'over which awet pair of bootee's is slipped for drying. These leg portions I3 extendin diametrically opposite directions *and'are joined'together inlongitudinal alignment in the same plane by an intermediate suspensionportion Hi from which extends a suspension hook 15. It will be seen thatthe entire'plastic device is integrated or molded in one piece andcomprises essentially a continuous peripheral or marginal element ofcircular cross-section having its spaced apart front and rear portionsI8 and 1.1 respectively shaped -to provide the two iden tical frames It!and H I in thelforms of a pair of flattened bootees; the rear or 'topmember of the peripheral portion I! forming the back or calf of itslegs, outwardly convex or rounded heels 13 extending above thelongitudinal axis of the upper member I! and half of the intermediateportion 14 of the two identical frames, while the front or bottom memberof the peripheral portion l6 forms the front or shin of the legs,

instep 19, toes 2U, arches or soles 2|, and the other half of theintermediate portion I .4 of these two frames. Thus, the device isprovided with two'open-work bootee frames Ill and H for drying twobootees simultaneously on the same device 'or hanger, and-due to thefact that the toe portions 20, are both extended downwardly or from thesame side of the peripheral frame,

and the heel portions l8 both extend upwardly where the two leg portionsjoin, is formed for strength with an inverted V-shape 23, theintersection of the arms forming the same, being continued outwardly toform the shank of the hook l5. Each bootee frame I and H projects incantilever fashion from the medial portion 22-23 of the frame where itis shaped as described above to enhance the strength of the cantileverprinciple of the device and to transfer the weight, and stresses onthese cantilever arms directly to the suspension hook l5, and adjacentintermediate portions 22 and 23.

To minimize the possibility of the peripheral contour element twistingor distorting from shape in the molding and cooling of the same, as wellas when in use, transverse structural elements 24, 25, 26 and 21connecting the front and rear portions 16 and I! are arranged parallelto one another and perpendicular to the front and rear peripheralportions l6 and I1 and are formed integral with said portions in themolding process. These transverse elements are of the same diameter andcircular cross-section as the peripheral frame. To further preventtwisting and warpage, the rear portion ll of the eripheral element, nearthe calf portions and between each pair 24 and 25 and the other pair ofstructural elements 26 and 21, is provided with humps or offsets 28 and29 in the plane of the device. These with the arched portions 22arranged upon opposite sides of the transverse elements 25 and 26,perform as stated, and also assist the cantilever principle of the twobootee frames. To additionally strengthen the medial stress bearingportion of the drier and to provide a name-plate or advertising portion,the central opening defined by the elements 22, 23, 25 and 26 may bepartially or wholly closed by a solid thin web 38 integrally joiningthese elements, and it is of less thickness as shown in Figs. 1 and 4.These oifsets 28 and 28 may be made larger or smaller in extentdepending upon size and diameter of the plastic stock and bootee size.

The modifications shown in Figs. 6 to 9 inclusive, concern building upthe strength and warpage resistance of the device, by reinforcement ofthe toe and heel portions of the bootee frames. In Figs. 6 and 7, thesecurved portions Illa and 2211 are formed as oval cross-sections merginginto the circular cross-section of the adjacent straighter portions ofthe frames; while Figs. 8 and 9 illustrate the toe and heel portionsIlla and 2012 as circular in cross-section formed with integral webs orgussets 31 spanning the greatest curves in these portions.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that this drier is the first inthe art to provide a bootee or sock drier which can be used to dry apair of bootees or socks simultaneously on a single frame, and due tothe longitudinally aligned arrangement of the two frames in and H withthe toe portions extending from the same side of the frame, the driercan also be used as an infants coat or dress hanger when not used as adrier. It will also be seen that the open-work plastic frames permit ofquick drying of the articles and being of smooth glossy finish; will notsnag the articles, and furthermore provides a finished product invarious colors right out of the molds without further treatment orpainting to make a marketable article.

I claim:

1. A bootee-drier comprising a one piece plastic device consisting of anouter peripheral element having the shape of a pair of flattened booteesarranged with their leg portions connected together and extending indiametrically opposite directions in the same plane and with their pairof foot portions arranged outermost of the device and extending ingenerally the same direction from the same side of the device in thesame plane therewith, said foot portions having curved toe and heelportions included in said peripheral element and having a cross-sectionvarying from that of said peripheral element to strengthen the same, andsuspension means extending from said peripheral element at a point wheresaid leg portions are connected.

2. A combination bootee drier and garment hanger made from a singlepiece of material with integral suspension means and a pair of integralcantilever elements each having the shape of a bootee with leg, foot,toe and convex heel portions adapted to hold a pair of bootees in shapeto dry, said leg portions being integrally connected together incantilever fashion to extend in diametrically opposite directions fromsaid suspension means and center of said device with the foot portionsof said elements arranged at the outer ends of said device and withtheir toe portions extending downwardly from the bottom of said deviceand said convex heel portions extending upwardly from the top of saiddevice whereby it can be used as a garment hanger with the shoulders ofsaid garment fitting upon said upwardly extending convex heel portionsso as not to mis-shape the garment.

3. A combination bootee drier and garment hanger comprising a one-piecemolded plastic device having integral suspension means and a pair ofintegral cantilever elements each having the shape of a flattened booteewith leg and foot portions having toe and convex heel portions to fitwithin a flattened bootee, said leg portions of said elements beingintegrally connected together in cantilever fashion to extend in thesame plane in diametrically opposite directions with the foot portionsof said elements arranged at the ends of said device and with the toeportions of said elements extending downwardly from the bottom of saiddevice and the convex heel portions extending upwardly from the top ofsaid device to fit into the shoulder portions of a garment when saiddevice is employed as a garment hanger.

GEORGE J. KUPCHIK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date D. 165,988 Kupchik Feb. 19, 19522,045,848 Geer June 30, 1936 2,222,231 Marble Nov. 19, 1940

